How to Schedule Your Study Time
Iâve been asked multiple times to make a post about how to schedule your study time, so here it is! This is a little bit different of a schedule because itâs over mid-semester break (Easter break for most), but it still works.
Step 1: Write down everything you need to do.
Get out a piece of notebook paper or open a new document on your computer and unleash your brainâs to-do list. Write everything down from classes, work, events, and extracurriculars to your work outs, meals, showers, and sleep. Nothing is too small to be written on the list, so if you need to remember to shave your legs, write that down!!
Step 2: Assign each task an estimated amount of time itâll take to complete.
This part is really crucial for me because it takes my organization a step further to help me achieve my studying and planning goals. It also gives me a reality check â sometimes Iâm so ambitious I try to bite off more than I can chew. If I know from the beginning that I most likely wonât achieve everything I need to do, I wonât be as disappointed come the end of my planning and studying. It also tells me I probably need to pick it up during the week and stop procrastinatingâŚ
Step 3: Open up Excel, create a table on another computer program, or grab a piece of paper.
Next weâll make the calendar with a readout of our obligations. I generally use Excel or a piece of paper, but I find that excel works best because I can edit future events easier if I didnât quite complete a task I planned for.
Have the first column for times, then a column following for each day you want to plan. It helps to have the time column skinnier with the daysâ columns wider so text can fit in easily. I leave two rows per hour (therefore one line is equal to one half hour) so I can plan for events or tasks that wonât be taking up whole hours.
Step 4: Designate a color for each of your scheduled categories.
These colors are the same as in my planner:
Purple: Anatomy & Physiology
Blue: Beverage Management
Black: Personal (showers, meals, sleep, relaxation, etc.)
I enter in all of my class, work, event, and extracurricular times first â things I canât miss. These are important to put into your schedule first because you can easily schedule studying around them.Â
Step 5: Once all of your obligations are plugged into your schedule, itâs time to fill in your studying.
This is where the required times for your tasks help a great deal! Itâs easy to spot an hour block here or there and plug in a 45 minute or hour task⌠something that may be a little hard for some when theyâre just going through their day and have a block. I know whenever I get an hour block I try to nap or rest as much as possible, but this frequently puts me behind. :(
Also, it may help you to pull out your planner and see what exams, quizzes, or assignments are coming up soon. You should rank these at a higher priority and complete these sooner rather than later to ensure you complete them.
I also group lesser tasks; for example, on Thursday night at 11:00 PM I grouped two homework assignments because they really shouldnât take that long and theyâre on the computer at the same time, etc. Itâs just easier for me to get them done at the same time. Just like if you need to go to a few different stores, try to go to them all in one trip. Itâll save you time, money, and gas!
Step 6: As youâre adding tasks to your schedule, make sure youâre crossing them off your list you made. You donât want to miss anything or add something twice!
This is pretty self-explanatory but also important! Make sure youâre adding everything and not missing anything.Â
Step 7: Make sure to schedule enough sleep during your night as well as time to eat/relax.
This is the most important step of them all! Without recharging your smart little brain and body, how are you going to have the fuel to move on? Also, try snacking on fruits and veggies and drinking water when youâre studying. Iâm one to love candy when Iâm studying and itâs hard to say ânoâ to my precious chocolate and skittles, but I know theyâll just bring my metabolism and energy down. Drinking a lot of water helps too because that means more bathroom breaks â which means more study breaks! ;)
I hope you found this post helpful. If youâd like to see other posts about my studying tips and tricks, please share this post and leave me a message about what I can improve or what youâd like some advice on. Happy studying! â grxeek
andulkaphoto
areudirty
izzy806
stormborns
romaincrisis
